If you’ve ever been curious as to how your lovely (or extremely masculine and rugged) tungsten carbide came to be, you would find that there is much more to the process than ordering your ring from your reputable tungsten jeweler. Digging in to the tungsten carbide ring can be a very eye opening and confusing process that begins with, well, digging.

Once the tungsten ore that was extracted from the earth is ready for processing and has been prepared. The process in preparing the tungsten is the same as has been used since it was initially extracted by the Spanish brothers and chemists Juan Jose and Fausto d’Elhuyar y de Suvisa. However, unlike the method used by the d’Elhuvar y de Suvisa brothers, modern extraction and preparation requires an extra, complicated step. Today, a complex chemical extraction is produced during the process. The chemical is called ammonium paratungstate, or more commonly known as APT.

APT is produced in two different ways. The methods are acid leaching and autoclave-soda. Ore is mixed with sodium carbonate under high temperatures and pressure in the autoclave-soda process. APT crystals are formed after ammonia is added to sodium tungstate solution.

In the acid leaching process, tungsten ore is broken down using hydrochloric acid making solid tungstic acid and calcium chloride. Ammonia is used as in the autoclave-soda process. Ammonia is used to dissolve tungstic acid. After evaporating and filtering the mixture, crystals of APT are produced.

Now, you may be wondering what crystals have to do with the tungsten carbide rings you purchased at your local or online retailer. Well, the process is still yet to be completed. The next part of the process is to make tungsten oxide.

The APT crystals are heated in a rotary furnace in order to form one of the three types of oxides that are formed. In this process, hydrogen is blown over the crystals. During this process, there are essentially three zones of differing levels of extreme heat. In the zone with the highest heat, hydrogen converts ammonia in the APT into hydrogen and nitrogen. Eventually, tungsten powder is produced by reducing the oxide in a furnace. After the tungsten powder is formed, it can be made into solid metal through a process known as sintering.

There is a lot of science and years of discovery that go into isolating the tungsten metal. While it is a laborious process, the end result creates much, much more than simply tungsten rings and other fine jewelry.

Tungsten Jewelry

Once you receive your tungsten carbide ring you ordered through your reputable online retailer, the tungsten in the ring has been through so many transformations in order to become the ring that will adorn your finger for a long, long time. What exactly did it go though to become your cherished ring?

As you may be aware, tungsten as we know it does not just appear out in the world in its present form. It must be extracted from the earth through mining procedures and is a very labor-intensive process. When the tungsten is initially discovered it is usually found as a mineral, scheelite or wolframite. Once the mineral is taken from the earth, the useful, metal portion must be extracted.

Today, when the tungsten ore is processed, the tungsten minerals are undergo a chemcila process similar to that used by the Spanish brothers and chemists Fausto and Juan Jose d’Elhuyar y de Suvisa during tungsten’s initial isolation, over 200 years ago, with a few tweaks.

The scheelite or wolframite mineral is crushed, before any chemical processing occurs. The crushed tungsten goes through a process called gravity concentration in order to refine the minerals. This process separates larger pieces of the mineral that may not have been crushed as well as needed from already workable ore. The larger pieces are then crushed more until they are workable. Once the pieces are workable, the ore goes through many methods to increase the concentration of tungsten ore, such as magnetic separation and roasting. Flotation is an interesting method also used, which entails mixing the crushed ore with chemicals and water in a flotation tank. Air is blown through the mix, carrying mineral-rich bubbles to the surface of the tank so that the mineral rich bubbles can be skimmed off the surface.

Once the ore has been crushed, it is then cleaned and treated in order to form tungsten trioxide. Once it is tungsten trioxide, using carbon as a reducing agent, the tungsten can be isolated. This isolation eventually creates the metallic mineral used later on to create the metallic tungsten. The metallic tungsten is then used by many producers to create a multitude of products ranging from the insides of a light bulb or parts used for space travel, to the elegant tungsten rings you are looking to purchase.

While there are lengthier discussions on the process of separating tungsten from its initial mineral stage to the final product, the method used to extract the metallic tungsten has remained virtually unchanged since it was first discovered.

Tungsten Jewelry

While much has been often said about the strength and durability of tungsten carbide rings, they are not indestructible. It is true; tungsten is one of the hardest substances that can be found on earth. The hardness and durability of tungsten carbide is surpassed only by diamonds. The hardness and strength of tungsten makes it extremely hard to scratch, which helps preserve its wonderful and appealing look. Tungsten carbide’s scratch resistant qualities, however, do not make tungsten indestructible. Even diamonds can be destroyed.

Unfortunately, while tungsten is extremely hard and highly durable, it can also be very brittle and can break when enough force is applied to it. For that reason, it is very important that when purchasing your tungsten carbide ring you choose an online retailer that has an excellent lifetime warranty. Lifetime warranties can insure that in a rare unfortunate incident that could destroy or damage your tungsten ring, you will not be left without a ring.

If your ring goes south, it is good to know that you need not necessarily worry about getting a replacement. There are several western deposits of tungsten; many are located all over North America. There has been such high demand for tungsten wedding bands recently; prices for tungsten have been rising in the market place. However, in order to combat the rising prices of tungsten, old mines are being re-opened. In addition to tungsten mines, there are other sources for tungsten carbide. Tungsten can actually be recycled and re-used.

About thirty percent of the world’s supply of tungsten comes from recycling scrap metal. These scraps and waste metals that can be thrown away can be processed into pure metal and used again to create a multitude of tungsten products including jewelry. Tungsten does not create any major pollutants on its own, but the other metals used in tungsten based metals can. Nonetheless, this recycling process is a much cheaper process than safely discarding pollutants. In addition, it is another method that can be used to combat potential price hikes.

While your tungsten ring as you know it may not always be the way it is, you will easily be able to secure a replacement with your lifetime warranty, which is why it is important to purchase your ring from a reputable retailer that can help you. Your old ring can be recycled and become a whole new ring down the road.

Tungsten Jewelry

After much research and browsing, coming to a decision to go with a tungsten carbide ring for your wedding band or for any of your jewelry needs was a very sensible choice. While your research for your ring may have led you to some other facts about tungsten. While the US has deposits and other countries have some as well.

It may surprise you, but coming out of the earth, tungsten metal did not come out in the beautiful perfect circle that is soon to be the tungsten rings on your finger. As you can imagine, most tungsten can be found underground. Scheelite and wolframite, as you may recall are the names of the minerals where tungsten can be found, are found underground in long, narrow veins. To get to these veins, there are many different mining methods used to produce the jewelry you can find throughout the internet and in jewelry stores throughout the United States.

There are some open pit mining methods used to extract tungsten ore. Open-pit mining methods are used when the tungsten minerals are found in the earth’s surface, not requiring digging underground. The areas where open-pit mining occurs are usually referred to as quarries. These quarries or large pits are expanded until no more useful minerals can be extracted. This method is used more often in Australia and Canada to extract tungsten minerals. However, most tungsten deposits are found underground requiring underground mining methods.

The method of underground mining methods used depends largely on the mine and essentially what ends up being a more cost-effective and safe path. One method of mining tungsten ore comes from what is often referred to as “slashing out the ore”. Essentially, miners will drill directly into the tungsten ore deposit to carve out large chunks of the ore. While other mining operations could use what is often referred to in the mining world as “room-and-pillar” mining methods. This method involves essentially carving out rooms of the tungsten ore, while leaving many pillars to support the roof. As the process continues in this method, a series of rooms and pillars are developed. Essentially, a large room full minus a few pillars is extracted per area.

Despite the large amount of ore that is pulled out from either mining method mentioned or any other used, it is surprising to know that most tungsten minerals contain less than 1.5 percent useful tungsten. This is found in tungsten trioxide. In order to extract the useful minerals from the rock, crushing machines break down the ore into much smaller chunks. After this is accomplished, those chunks are then sent to an ore-dressing plant. Eventually and depending on the destination of the ore, what comes out, will become your new piece of jewelry.

From earth to your finger, the tungsten process is a very difficult and labor intensive process. It is extremely easy to not think about how your ring got to your finger, but once you do understand, it makes you appreciate your choice even more. A lot of hard mining work went in to find the material used to make your and many other fine pieces of tungsten carbide jewelry.

Tungsten Jewelry

If you are in the market for jewelry or have a tendency to do a lot of browsing, whether it is in person going to jewelry stores or the jewelry section of your favorite department store or through the increasingly more efficient and convenient online shopping, where you can shop from the comfort of your home, you have undoubtedly come across tungsten. A quick search online or maybe by even asking your local jeweler will reveal that tungsten has become increasingly more and more of a big player in the jewelry industry.

There are many reasons why tungsten has increased in popularity. While it is considered a “scarce” metal, tungsten is not considered a “precious” metal, like gold, silver or platinum. Because of this, tungsten’s price is significantly lower than the price of those more precious metals. However, just because it is cheaper does not mean that it does not look amazing. Another reason for the meteoric rise of tungsten jewelry is that, due to its hardness and chemical makeup, tungsten wedding bands are extremely durable. The shiny polish you get on your ring will maintain. Some go so far as to call it “un scratch able” but that is not technically true. Tungsten carbide jewelry is extremely difficult to scratch, but diamonds can scratch tungsten, as diamonds are one of the few substances on Earth that is harder than tungsten.

Because tungsten of its low cost and durability, tungsten has become increasingly popular as described above. The retailers of such products have increased dramatically over the past few years, with the rise of internet shopping in general aiding in the increase. While you may be in a hurry to purchase tungsten to take advantage of great deals that many retailers offer, do not worry, tungsten itself will be around for quite some time.

As you may be aware, tungsten makes up a very tiny portion of the Earth’s crust. But, it is important to keep in mind that the Earth’s crust is enormous. It is estimated that Tungsten, in its current capacity, will be around for quite some time. It is estimated by geologists that there are at least 3.3 million tons of tungsten reserves throughout the world. Currently, at our current consumption rate, it is estimated that the tungsten reserves will last over 100 years. There are plenty of estimated reserves that are basically too expensive or difficult to recover.

While it’s true that tungsten reserves will at some point be exhausted, it will be far beyond our lifetimes. In the meantime, the only concerns related to tungsten running out, should be that you miss out on sales at your favorite online retailer.

Tungsten Jewelry

These days, Tungsten jewelry is everywhere. You can easily find it at major stores such as Wal-Mart, and have your choice of fine (and some not so fine) online retailers. Not to mention, many actual jewelry stores do carry tungsten products. As you may have learned, Tungsten, due to its durability and characteristics, can also be found in many other things in our daily lives, such as light bulbs. Tungsten is used as filaments for light bulbs. However, not many people know where the tungsten that is easily found and available in stores actually comes from.

Tungsten makes up a very small portion of the Earth’s crust and is a very scarce metal. Tungsten makes up just a miniscule 1.1 parts per million of the Earth’s crust. Just to get an idea, other elements such as Iron (about 63,000 parts per million) and lead (about 10 parts per million) make up a larger portion of the Earth’s crust. Tungsten’s closest “relatives” in the periodic table are usually considered to be molybdenum and tin, which make up similar parts per million of the Earth’s crust: 1.1. and 2.2 respectively.

Although, it sounds very small in the grand scheme of the parts per million of the Earth’s crust, the Earth’s crust is enormous and therefore there is still plenty of Tungsten. However, it is never naturally found as a metal. Tungsten can only be found as a mineral, meaning it is found combined with other elements to form compounds. In fact, there are more than twenty tungsten minerals that can be found in nature, but only two of those are used to extract metal: scheelite and wolframite.

Wolframite is usually associated with a tin ore known as cassiterite that is usually found near granitic rocks. Wolframite is black-brown mineral and is one of the main sources for tungsten, as mentioned above. When found in its natural state, wolframite will contain varying levels of manganese tungstate and also iron tungstate. Depending on the composition of wolframite mineral, it will be called a different name. If the mineral contains more than 80% manganese tunsgstate is known as hubnerite, whereas if the mineral consists of more than 80% iron tungstate it will be known as ferberite.

Whereas Wolframite will be found in that black brown color, Scheelite varies in color from white to green. Also, under ultraviolet light, pure scheelite will glow. Unlike wolframite that will have manganese tungstate or iron tungstate, scheelite will consist of calcium tungstate.

Whether it is found as wolframite or scheelite, the tungsten metal can eventually be turned into a variety of things, including the tungsten carbide rings that are becoming increasingly popular.

Tungsten Jewelry

When trying to figure out what type of ring to purchase for your wedding band, you undoubtedly found silver, gold and platinum options. Then, upon researching the qualities in a ring that fit your lifestyle, you first realized that gold, silver, or platinum may not be what you need, because they can scratch easily and require more maintenance. Some people just do not have time for that. After some more research you probably came across an alternative ring source. Due to your need for a ring that not only could withstand your day-to-day activities but also maintain a lustrous shine, your options were not that great. However, you finally discovered the perfect fit: tungsten carbide.

Despite your assertions and your excitement in telling anyone and everyone who will listen about your discovery. It is exciting: durable, scratch resistant tungsten wedding bands that will not cost you an arm and a leg. But, you’ll be disappointed in knowing that you did not quite discover tungsten. In fact, tungsten has been around for quite some time. It was discovered in the 16th century.

Tungsten was not always known as “tungsten”. At first, it was referred to as “Wolfram” when it was discovered in Germany by miners. Wolfram, which means “wolf froth” was given to the tungsten compound because of the way it reacted during a mineral reduction, where it looked like it was devouring tin, like a wolf would devour sheep.

Wolfram became known as Tungsten when it was “discovered” again by a Swedish chemist and mineralogist in 1755. Axel Frederik Cronstedt had discovered a very dense mineral and was convinced that it contained another element that had possibly not been discovered. Due to its density, he called it “tung-sten” which is Swedish for “heavy stone.”

Decades later, another Swedish chemist, Carl Wilhelm Scheele successfully isolated lime and an unknown acid from the tungsten mineral, but was unable to find a way to purify the metal. Due to Scheele’s contributions to the research on tungsten, the mineral is now called “scheelite”.

Tungsten as we know it now was not isolated until a few years later when two Spanish chemists Fausto and Juan Jose d’Elhuyar y de Suvisa discovered that wolramite (scheelite) contained the same tungstic acid that Scheel had discovered earlier in his research.

In order to isolate the metal, the Spanish brothers and chemists prepared tungsten trioxide from a crushed wolframite. After that, they were able to isolate tungsten from the oxide, using carbon. This way they were able to isolate the metal. They called the metal wolframite. For that reason, some European countries refer to the metal as wolfram rings, even though tungsten is a more widely accepted name.

Now that you have discovered the information regarding the discovery of tungsten, you can share some of your information to the friends you tell about your discovery of tungsten carbide jewelry, a little substance to go with your flashy new ring.

Tungsten Jewelry

Tungsten carbide wedding rings have developed the reputation of being one of the durable types of wedding bands. Due to its hardness (it is one of the hardest substances known to man) it is extremely difficult to scratch. This ruggedness is perfect for those who live an active lifestyle and allows those individuals to not have to deal with scratching their wedding ring and making it look damaged.

Tungsten is a very unique metal with very unique characteristics. Tungsten is a very heavy metal. In fact, tungsten derives its name from the Swedish words tung and sten, which means “heavy stone”. In terms of weight compared to lead, a cubic inch of lead weighs half as much as a cubic inch of tungsten. Just to put in as a perspective, a cubic inch of lead weighs about six and a half ounces (a little less than half a pound).

Much has been said about tungsten’s toughness and high durability, but it is also pretty brittle. In fact, it is possible to cut a piece of with a hacksaw. Some tungsten wedding bands have been known to break if dropped from a fairly high distance. Nonetheless, tungsten carbide is still one of the toughest and strongest of all metals known to man.

One of tungsten’s most amazing characteristics comes from its ability to withstand heat. With the exception of carbon, tungsten has the highest melting point of all elements. Tungsten has a melting point (the point where it changes from a solid to a liquid) of 6,152 degrees Fahrenheit (3,410 degrees Celsius). At 4,982 degrees Fahrenheit, another “tough” metal – Iron – is already boiling. At high temperatures, tungsten keeps its profound strength and does not begin to expand nearly as much as other metals. Because of its ability to remain strong under high temperatures, tungsten is used in space travel.

Another interesting characteristic of tungsten is that it does not react with many other substances including acids. Tungsten is resistant to most acids, which also aids in the jewelry industry. The lack of reaction with acids and other elements prevents your finger from turning green.

The characteristics such as heavy weight, high durability, scratch resistance, high melting point and low reaction to chemicals are only a few characteristics that make tungsten carbide so desirable in jewelry. There are several other characteristics such as high polish and affordability that make tungsten carbide so popular.

Tungsten Jewelry

What is the difference between tungsten and tungsten carbide? You have undoubtedly seen the final product, your beautiful, shiny, scratch resistant tungsten carbide ring. But, the formation of those compounds that allow for the creation of your ring or piece of jewelry is dependent on tungsten’s atomic makeup.

We begin with an atom. There are three types of elements in an atom and they are called electron (negatively charged atom), proton (positively charged atom), and neutron (an atom with no charge). Imagine a group of protons and neutrons clumped together. This is called a nucleus. Orbiting the nucleus are electrons. Together, they form an atom.

At this point, you can combine atoms to create a molecule. Most substances that surround us are made up of molecules and are compounds of different elements. For example, water is a compound of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (H₂O). The naming convention for a compound with only two elements ends with the syllable “ide”. For example, oxygen and carbon combine to create carbon dioxide.

The tungsten atom consists of seventy-four protons, seventy-four neutrons and varying number of neutrons. There are five stable isotopes (different versions of its atom) that contain 106, 108, 109, 110 and 112 neutrons. Averaging the amount of neutrons in the stable tungsten isotopes (106 + 108 + 109 + 110 + 112 / 5) gives tungsten an average amount neutron amount of 109. Adding the neutrons plus the protons (74) generates the tungsten atom’s atomic mass of 183.

The manner in which the tungsten atom forms compounds with other elements is dictated by its outer electron shells. The tungsten atom consists of six electron shells. The first four shells are “full” – meaning, they do not have any room to “share” electrons with another element. The inner shell consists of 2 electrons. There are 8 in the second shell. The third shell contains 18, whereas the fourth shell has 32 electrons. The last two shells, which are the ones that form compounds with other elements contain 12 (fifth shell) and 2 (the sixth or outer shell).

Because the last two shells have room for more electrons, they will form chemical bonds with other elements, such as carbon. By combining both tungsten and carbon, we end up with a compound known as tungsten carbide that is found in the tungsten wedding bands and other tungsten jewelry that are becoming increasingly popular.

Tungsten Jewelry

By now you have undoubtedly heard the term “tungsten” – albeit, usually by the term “tungsten carbide”. You have probably heard about how tungsten carbide rings are making a huge splash in the jewelry industry due to its beautiful look, its durability, and also due to its lower cost, as compared to more traditional gold, silver, or platinum. However, it is likely that most people would know little more than that about tungsten.

Tungsten, in its “purest” form, is a very shiny and strong metal that is a gray-white color. In terms of tungsten’s make up of the earth’s crust, it is just a tiny, tiny portion of the earth’s crust. It makes up about 1/20 ounce per ton of rock. However, in nature, tungsten cannot be found as a pure metal. Tungsten is always found combined with another element forming a compound. It is most commonly found with a mineral called “scheelite” or often times with another metal called “wolframite”.

Tungsten is now commonly known as a metal used in jewelry; however, its strong compounds have many more uses. Due to its hardness (its hardness is only outmatched by diamonds), it is often carbon to make tips for drill bits and cutting tools. Also, due to its high melting point it is often added to materials such as steel to make harder, more temperature resistant alloys.

Tungsten is not just another pretty metal. Its durability, strength and other characteristics make it ideal to be used to form compounds with other elements for a multitude of uses. It has been used for things ranging from space travel to light bulbs.

In the atomic level

If when you’re searching for a wedding band and assumed you could find nothing other than the traditional silver, gold and platinum, well, you’d be wrong. One of the more prominent metals used for jewelry is Tungsten, an extremely hard metal, that is very scratch resistant. Tungsten, aside from being popular for use in the jewelry industry, has many more characteristics that make this metal ideal for many things. It’s far more than just a shiny metal used for tungsten rings.

If back in your chemistry taking days, you thought W was the Chemical symbol for Water, well, you were wrong again… and you probably didn’t do well in chemistry. The chemical symbol W actually refers to Tungsten.

Everything in our world, visible to the naked eye or not, consists of atoms, which are tiny particles and are the foundation of all elements. Atoms are far too small to be seen by the naked eye, but must be observed through the lens of microscope in order to be seen. An atom is comprised of even smaller parts called protons, electrons, and neutrons, which can all be found surrounding the element’s nucleus.

Tungsten has the atomic number of 74, which means that tungsten has 74 positively charged protons in its nucleus. As you may recall an element will have the same number of electrons as neutron. So, a tungsten atom will consist of 74 electrons. Electrons have the effect of balancing out the positive charge of the neutrons, making the tungsten element electrically neutral.

Neutrons, on the other hand are usually found in different amounts within the tungsten particle. The neutrons are slightly larger than the proton and do not have a positive (or negative electrical charge). The presence of the neutrons is what allows a tungsten atom to form bonds with other elements, which is essential for forming bonds. Forming bonds is essential for creating the jewelry you find in stores or online.

Tungsten Jewelry